~~~~~~~~~
The station seemed to be busy this morning. Lots of police walking around with clipboards in their hands looking official and lots of people either looking as beat up as Ashley or worse. It looked like there was a case of beatings going around. She felt slightly better that it wasn't just her, but her heart ached inside for all of these people, mostly women, who had men in their lives that beat them.
Molly never noticed anymore who stared at her wings. They were as big as her body but always magically seemed to fit behind her so no one ever got bulldozed by them. And yet she knew people would always look because no one else besides her had real life angel wings on their back. But the town was small enough that everyone knew to look in her eyes instead of just at her wings and that made her feel slightly better.
They waited in line for what seemed like forever. Finally, a petite woman with an unfortunate pony tail and way too much lipstick on her teeth said in a very bored voice, "what do we have here?" She looked at Molly first, obviously thinking that someone had done something to her angel wings or bullied her or something like that. Ashley took off her jacket and her long t-shirt and then her sunglasses. Underneath was worse than what Molly had expected. Her eyes would be swollen because of the crying, but this was the first time today that she actually saw Ashley's eyes. Both of them were black and it looked like she had a big scratch above her right eyelid. Her arms were covered in black and blue spots. The woman's eyes didn't look bored anymore as they took in the sight that was Ashley Blackfield. "Oh My God, child, who did this to you?" she exclaimed. As she said that, more people turned their heads to see what the big commotion was. It took everything in Molly not to wrap Ashley up in her angel wings and protect her from probing eyes, but everyone was a witness to what this man had done to her.
Ashley answered in a voice as clear as a bell. "my dad." At first the woman didn't want to believe it. That was clear from the surprised expression on her face. But seeing what was right in front of her face diminished any benefit of a doubt she might have had towards that man. Important or not, no one had a right to get beat up like this. She seemed to trip over herself as she instructed Ashley as what she should do next. "Umm... okay... I need you to fill out an ummm... report. Then we have to take pictures. If you want to press charges, I would strongly advise that."
Ashley sighed a breath of relief as the woman softened to her. She didn't want her dad to get into trouble, but after everything he put her through, she felt like she had no choice. She watched Molly's face take in everything and the silent tears roll down her best friend's face as she realized that things were worse than what she even knew. "I... I don't know if I can write everything down. It's too much. Can Molly do it? If I talk, can she write?" "oh yes, of course that's alright," the woman said in a calm voice. "you may not even have to write. If you can just sit down and say what happened, that will work too."
"I think I want to do that," Ashley said.
"If Molly comes with me." Molly grabbed her hand and went through the doors with Ashley.
The last thing Molly's parents saw as the two girls walked through the doors to the questioning rooms was two very brave girls, hand in hand, and one pair of angel wings gliding serenely in a place of such heartbreak.
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